The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report
Dec. 15, 2003 -- On Saturday, December 13 at approximately 8:30 pm local time in Iraq, U.S. forces found and captured deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. In the aftermath of this historic event, many questions have surfaced related to the fate of the imprisoned former leader, the implications for the Iraqi people, and the impact on the insurgents and the U.S. occupation in Iraq.
Today's special report touches on how U.S. intelligence finally tracked Hussein down, who provided key clues, what information U.S. investigators will obtain from documents and interrogations of Hussein and what kind of judicial proceedings is he going to face.
ABCNEWS has also learned from U.S. Treasury and intelligence officials that the $25 million reward for Saddam Hussein will not be paid. The person who provided the location did so after being arrested in Baghdad Friday at a Saddam safe house. His name is being withheld for fear he could face reprisals from others who are in custody with him.
SADDAM CAPTURED
How Did it Happen?
Anatomy of Saddam's Capture
After nearly nine months and billions of dollars spent hunting for the elusive Iraqi leader, in the end, Saddam Hussein went without a fight. (ABCNEWS)
How We Got Saddam
'Don't shoot,' the bearded, submissive man said to the soldiers. He was Saddam Hussein, hiding in a hole, the man the Pentagon called 'High Value Target Number One.' The story of his capture — and what's next. (Newsweek)
Saddam's Wife Helped Locate Him
A flurry of unconfirmed reports said Saddam's second wife had provided U.S. forces with information about his whereabouts. In Tikrit, Maj-Gen Raymond Odierno said that over the past 10 days soldiers from 4th Infantry Division had questioned up to 10 members of families "close to Saddam". He said: "Finally we got the ultimate information from one of these individuals." In an interview with the Sunday Times, the second wife of Saddam Hussein, who is living in Lebanon with his only surviving son under assumed names, says she received a telephone call or a letter from the ousted Iraqi dictator at least once a week. Asharq Al Awsat is reporting that there are speculations that tapping the wife's phone may have led the U.S. to Saddam's location. (The Independent, The Sunday Times, Asharq al Awsat) Please note: Registration is required for The Sunday Times piece
Betrayal by Clan Led to Hussein's Capture
The hunt for Saddam Hussein ended late Saturday with information from a member of his tribal clan. (NY Times)
A Possible Iranian Role?
The fact that head of the Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani first announced the news about the capture of Saddam Hussein to the Iranian news agency raises some questions about a possible Iranian role, comments Al Hayat newspaper. Informed sources told the paper that Talabani succeeded in getting assistance from Iranian intelligence and hinted that it may be related to the banning of the Iranian opposition group Mujaheddin Khalq from Iraq. The paper reports that the Iranians had intensified their intelligence efforts and were successful at certain times in obtaining information about Saddam's movements. Talabani however denied yesterday any Iranian cooperation in the capture of Saddam. Sources in northern Iraq said that Talabani contacted "informed" residents and assured them that their names would not be given to the U.S. forces if they reveal Saddam's location. They said Talabani was also in constant contact with the U.S. forces carrying out the operation until the capture. Other sources went as far as saying that Hussein asked the Iranians through letters to grant him asylum in return for "important information that he has." (Al Hayat)
Slideshow: Capture location (ABCNEWS)
Interrogations: Is Saddam Talking?Military: Saddam's Capture Led to Others
Interrogations of Saddam Hussein and documents in his personal briefcase, seized with him, have led to the arrest of several prominent regime figures in Baghdad, a U.S. general told The Associated Press on Monday. (AP)
Saddam 'Silent' In Interrogation
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has yielded no intelligence information since his capture on Saturday, the U.S. defense secretary has revealed. (BBC)
The Reading Chronicle, however, is reporting that Saddam Hussein is divulging information about the insurgency, leading to the capture of a "key" rebel leader in Baghdad. (Reading Chronicle)
Background
Saddam Hussein: Deposed President of Iraq
Until his capture on Dec. 13, 2003, Saddam Hussein had been called the quintessential survivor. (ABCNEWS)
Latest Status of 55 Most Wanted in Iraq (U.S. Central Command)
Key Events in the Life of Saddam Hussein (The Guardian)
Iraq Timeline (The Guardian)
WHAT NOW?
Legal Questions
Saddam's Trial Could Be a Turning Point
``When you judge,'' Saddam Hussein once said, ``judge with justice.'' (AP)
Rumsfeld: Saddam to Have POW Protections
Saddam Hussein will have protections accorded to prisoners of war, Rumsfeld says. (AP)
Official: Saddam May Face Death Penalty
Saddam Hussein could be tried ``in the next few weeks'' and could be executed if convicted, one Iraqi Governing Council member said Monday. Other council members said a trial would likely begin later. (AP)
Britain Opposes Death Penalty for Saddam
Washington's closest Iraq war ally Britain said Monday it would play ``no part'' in any trial of Saddam Hussein that might lead to his death. (Reuters)
Iraqis Just Recently Set Rules to Govern Tribunal
After United States officials finish interrogating Saddam Hussein, he is expected to become the principal defendant before a special Iraqi-led criminal tribunal that was formally established only last week, Iraqi and American officials said Sunday. (NY Times)
World Leaders Urge Fair Trial for Saddam
As the joy over Saddam Hussein's capture settled, world leaders on Monday said they hoped the arrest would lead to stability in Iraq and called for a fair trial for the deposed Iraqi leader. Australia's leader said he would support the death penalty. (AP)
Officials Lay Out Plan to Question Saddam
U.S. intelligence and military officials lay out priorities in quizzing Saddam Hussein. (AP)
Analysis: Putting Saddam On Trial
The Iraqi Governing Council intends to put Saddam Hussein on trial by an Iraqi court. It is determined to resist calls for an international tribunal. (BBC)
Iran Draws Up Saddam War Charges
The Iranian Government says it is preparing a dossier of charges against the ousted Iraqi president. (BBC)
Iraqi-Run Trial Holds Promise and Peril
Saddam Hussein most likely will be tried in Iraq under terms set by a war crimes tribunal created by the Iraqi Governing Council last week and sanctioned by occupation authorities. (LA Times)
Hussein: From Pedestal to Tribunal
Iraqi leaders say an Iraqi court will try Hussein for his brutal regime, but the process could prove complicated. (CS Monitor)
Lessons from Nuremberg
The tyrant's capture has triggered a predictable chorus from those who have consistently subordinated the interests of Iraq, and other things, to their agenda for aggrandizing international institutions. They say an international tribunal should have a role — perhaps the role — in the trial of Saddam Hussein. So it is timely to recall the Nuremberg anomaly. (Washington Post)
Iraq: No Political Show Trial for Saddam HusseinThe Iraqi Governing Council must not mount a political show trial of Saddam Hussein, Human Rights Watch warned today. (Human Rights Watch)
The Insurgency
Iraq Car Bombs Kill Nine Despite Saddam's Capture
Suicide car bombs killed nine people in Iraq Monday, underlining President Bush's warning that the capture of Saddam Hussein did not mean the end of conflict in Iraq. (Reuters)
Analysis: The End Of Resistance?
Saddam Hussein's capture marks a huge morale boost for US forces and a serious blow to Baathist elements engaged in armed resistance against them. (BBC)
THE WORLD'S REACTIONS
Iraqis Jubilant Over Saddam's Capture
Celebratory gunfire, honking horns greet news of Saddam's capture, but Iraqis want proof. (AP)
The World Reacts
World leaders who divided over the war in Iraq are united in welcoming the capture of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. (CNN)
Disbelief Turns to Quiet Satisfaction
While some celebrated in Iraq, initial reactions to Saddam Hussein's arrest in other parts of the Arab world were more subdued, with many reluctant to believe the news. (The Guardian)
Capture Divides the Arab World
Arab reaction to the arrest of Saddam Hussein has varied from euphoria to a sense of deep humiliation. (BBC)
World Leaders Thrilled by Saddam Capture
World leaders, human rights activists say Saddam's capture will remove fear of many Iraqis. (AP)
Press Review: 'We Got Him' What the U.K. papers say about Saddam's arrest, the fallout for Blair and Bush and the future for Iraq. (The Guardian)
Arab Media Cautious Predicting Impact of Saddam Hussein's Capture
On the day Saddam Hussein's capture became known in the United States, the tone of online news coverage differed depending on whether it was being done by Arab media or U.S. mainstream daily newspapers. (AlJazeera.net, Khaleej Times, MENA, News Analysis)
World Reaction in Quotes (BBC)
U.S. Reactions in Quotes (The Seattle Times)
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Turning Point for Iraq?
The capture of Saddam Hussein is being presented by the coalition as a turning point for Iraq leading to reconciliation and political stability. (BBC)
Washington Post-ABC News Poll: The Capture of Saddam Hussein
What Next?The capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein offers closure to one long difficult chapter in modern Iraqi history. The myth is shattered. (Jordan Times)
Saddam's Capture is Major Coup, May Not End Unrest
Saddam Hussein's capture will delight most Iraqis and devastate the deposed dictator's loyalists, but even this stunning victory for U.S. forces may not quell the violence they face in Iraq. (Tehran Times)
Politics of Capture Depends on Iraqis
For President Bush, the capture of Saddam Hussein provides a huge short-term political boost. But the long term impact in the United States is likely to depend largely on its effect in Iraq. (LA Times)
Window of Hope Opens for Iraq
The capture of Saddam Hussain marks a turning point for Iraq which has to be seized by both the Iraqi Governing Council and the American-led coalition. It offers an opportunity to start afresh, to end the phase of armed resistance to the coalition. (Gulf News)
The New Guantanamo? The punishment of Saddam Hussein — a dream for George Bush — could prove a minefield for Tony Blair. (The Guardian)
The Capture of a Dictator
Saddam Hussein's capture leaves the United States facing the same profound questions about how best to create a stable and democratic government in Iraq. (NY Times)
From the 'Spider Hole'
Saddam Hussein not use his pistol when he was caught? Because he is looking forward to the mother of all genocide trials. (NY Times)
A Step Toward Mission Accomplished
The moment that television screens showed the wild, bearded face of Saddam Hussein, looking more like a homeless tramp than a pitiless dictator, it was as if a voodoo spell had been broken. (Washington Post)
What the Capture Means
Leading analysts and political commentators agree the capture of Saddam Hussein represents a coup for the U.S. but questions remain about its repercussions. (Al Jazeera)
OTHER STORIES
A Careful U.S. Plan to Dispel All Doubt on Hussein's FateThe announcement of Saddam Hussein's capture followed a careful plan devised over months and intended, according to those who worked on it, to dispel any doubt among Iraqis and a skeptical Arab world that he was in American hands. (NY Times)
Notes from Saddam in Custody
Saddam is talking, but he isn't cooperative. New details on his capture and his first interrogation. (Time)
Saddam Could Reveal Arms Cache in Deal
Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein could be offered a deal in which he would give his captors information on if and how he hid weapons of mass destruction and if he smuggled some of them into Syria. In exchange, he would face life imprisonment and not be executed for war crimes, senior Iraqis attending a conference here on the future of the region have hinted. (Ha'aretz)
Bearing Questions, 4 New Iraqi Leaders Pay Hussein a VisitHe was not handcuffed. He did not recognize all his visitors, but they recognized him. That was the purpose of the visit: to help confirm that he was, in fact, Saddam Hussein. (NY Times)
Inside the Cabinet:For 14 Long Hours, Keeping the Secret
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld spoke guardedly when he called President Bush at Camp David at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, with the bombshell that Saddam Hussein apparently was in custody after a fruitless eight-month search that had tormented the White House. (Washington Post)
The Insider Daily Terrorism Report (DTR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to international terrorism and the war in Iraq. The DTR is edited from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman, and Brinda Adhikari of the ABCNEWS Investigative Unit. The outside views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.